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Society as Destiny
(1992)
Investigated is Erich FROMM's concept of social character (see, eg, >The Sane Society<, New York: Rinehart, 1955), which refers to aspects of personality shared in a society, or subsociety, due to socialization effects resulting from common exposure to the same institutional practices, notably to efforts of economic institutions. FROMM proposes that within complex Western societies, the same language is used differently in differing socioeconomic groups. These theses are tested against the results of several empirical studies, including one that compared the treatment of psychiatric patients of middle- and lower-class origins (Grey, Alan, >Social Class and the Psychiatric Patient: A Study in Composite Character<, Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 1966, 2, 87-121). Results indicate that FROMM's prediction of greater alienation among the middle class is not sustained, but that there are other significant class differences. In general, FROMM's conceptualization provides a useful tool for integrating social science with clinical psychoanalysis.
Discusses whether alienation is more prevalent in postindustrial societies than in preindustrial ones. 2 distinct forms of alienation are identified: noncommitment and overconformity. The former involves a sense of estrangement from others and the prevailing values of scoiety; the latter stems from self-estrangement and lack of awareness of one's own needs. A review of available cross-cultural evidence failed to support the Marx-FROMM hypothesis that automation conformity increases directly with industrialization and greater use of mechanical automata. It is concluded that each type of alienation arises under different societal conditions.